Waking
by Jezunya
Summary: With everyone reborn in the distant future, an old enemy rises again. This time there's no jewel to battle for- just revenge... Ch5: Kag & Naraku meet, but it seems no good will come of it- instead it sparks frightening memories of the villain's past.
1. We All Die

"Waking" by Jezunya

Chapter I: We All Die

Okay, this is sort of like a sequel to "Dream," but it's not really necessary to read that first. *Sigh* I was kinda disappointed that no one seems to have caught the thing at the end of the fic. (Hint: what day was it when Kagome first got pulled through the well?)

Blah blah blah... I don't have anything to say here, 'cept maybe that I do not -- repeat **do not** -- own Inuyasha or anything related to it (seriously, the only merchandise I have is my mangas!!)

Umm.. K, I guess that's it (for now... bwahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!).

** ** ** ** ** **

He was dying. They both knew it. He used the last of his strength to gently brush her cheek with his fingertips. "Kagome... Ai shiteru," he rasped.

The girl's eyes widened even as his closed forever. 

"No..." she whispered. 

Her mind raced. 

"No..! No! Inuyasha!!"

She'd seen this before... somewhere...

"Inuyasha!!!"

A long time ago... in a dream. She'd forgotten 'til now.

"It can't end like this..." she sobbed into his shoulder. "Inuyasha, please..." _I never even got to tell you... that I love you..._ "Ai shiteru, Inuyasha," she whispered as she leaned down and kissed his still slightly warm lips._ I wish we could have a second chance together..._

No sooner had the words gone through her mind, than the now completed Shikon Jewel began to glow. She gasped and moved to touch it. As her fingers brushed it, there was flash of bright, white light, and then there was nothing.

***

Where...? Where was she? Everywhere she looked there was gold mist.

"Kagome."

She spun around and found herself face to face with the strangest -- and cutest -- boy she had ever seen in her life.

"So you decided to follow after all." He smiled, his slitted gold eyes holding nothing but love and adoration.

"Wha--"

He held up a hand to quiet her as he glanced to the side and slightly behind him. A point of white light had begun to pulse, and he cocked an ear as if listening to what it had to say. After a few moments he sighed and turned back to her. "I have to go now," he said, then grinned. "Come quickly," he whispered as he began to back away. "I'll be waiting." Then he turned and ran, following the pulsing white light into the depths of the mist.

Kagome stared after the boy, thoroughly confused.

** ** ** ** **

Heh heh heh heh heeeeeeeeeehh.. I think I'll leave off there for now. ) 

What the heck is going on? Is everyone dead?? Haha, you'll have to wait for the next chapter (which hopefully won't take too long)

'Til next time, Ja ne!

(Don't forget to review!!)


	2. But Only Some Remember

"Waking" By Jezunya

Chapter II: But Only Some Remember

I'm sick (bleh) and should probably be in bed trying to get better instead of out here typing this, but my priorities are all screwed up anyway, so here I am. (bleh)

As always, standard disclaimers apply: I don't own IY!! (as much as I like to pretend I do)

AN: It seems some of you are wondering what Inuyasha meant when he told Kagome to "Come quickly," and that he'd be waiting for her. Heh heh... Well, I ain't tellin' you nothin'! Really, if I did that, why would you even have to read it??

Now where were we..? Ah, yes...

** ** ** ** **

Kagome stared after the boy, thoroughly confused.

There was a sudden, insistent ringing noise. Kagome looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. It sounded like an alarm clock. She blinked--

--And found herself in her own bed in her own room. Her alarm clock was going ballistic on the nightstand next to her, which would explain the noise she'd heard. She quickly slapped the thing, temporarily shutting it off, and leaned back on her pillow. That boy in her dream... he'd looked like a demon, but not quite. She knit her brows, concentrating. He seemed slightly familiar, but she was sure that she'd never seen him before. She relaxed, shrugging it off. It was only a dream after all.

Kagome quickly showered and dressed for school, grabbing a bit of breakfast on her way out. As she rushed out of her house, she spotted her best friend just coming up the sidewalk.

"Sango-chan!"

Sango smiled, falling into step next to her friend. "Ohayou, Kagome-chan. How was your weekend?" she asked.

"Pretty good," Kagome said around a yawn. 

The two walked to school together, meeting up with some of their other friends and chatting like normal teenage girls about boys and grades and who had what hair-cut. 

***

They sat together at lunch, as always. After a while a slightly awkward silence fell between them. Kagome couldn't stop thinking about her dream. What had the boy meant? She couldn't get past the nagging feeling that she knew him. He was obviously a demon and if anyone knew about demons it was...

"Sango-chan?" she said, breaking the silence.

"Hm?" the other girl said, not looking up from her food.

Kagome chewed her lip, unsure as to how to begin. "Uh.. I had this really weird dream last night. It was about um.. a demon."

Sango looked up at her, suddenly much more interested. "What do you mean?"

Kagome opened her mouth to continue, but just then a guy sat across the table from them with a loud "Hello girls!" It was Miroku, from B-class. He nodded politely to Kagome before giving Sango a dazzling smile. The other girl just rolled her eyes. Miroku, a good friend of theirs, had been after Sango since they met at the beginning of junior high. Now, in their ninth year, Sango was still fending off all his advances.

"So, what are you two beauties talking about over here?" Miroku said, picking up his chopsticks. 

"Kagome was just telling me about her dream last night," Sango replied, giving the boy a look that said 'that is, until she was so rudely interrupted.'

Miroku nodded again, this time slightly apologetic. "Please continue, Kagome-sama."

Kagome took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Ok... Last night I dreamt about this boy, and I'm pretty sure he was a demon."

"What makes you say that?" Miroku asked.

"Well, considering that normal humans don't have dog-ears, claws, and long white hair, I think it's pretty safe to assume that he wasn't human."

Next to her, Sango gasped. Miroku looked at her and something seemed to pass between them.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"Oh..! Uh.. nothing.." Sango tried to cover up. Kagome raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's just that for a demon to have 'dog-ears' as you said, instead of the usual elfin ears, would suggest that he is a hanyou -- a half-demon," Miroku said calmly. Sango shot him a grateful look.

"So..?" Kagome asked.

"So, half-demons are very rare, that's all," Sango answered.

"Oh," Kagome said. "But I just can't help feeling like..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind.. Forget I said anything about it, ok?"

Sango and Miroku nodded and went back to their food.

***

"She doesn't remember anything, does she?"

"No."

"Except him."

"Dreaming about someone isn't the same as remembering, Houshi-sama."

"But she's trying to. And I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore."

"..."

"..."

"Do you think we should take her to see him?"

"No... He's not ready to see her. Even if he remembers her, it would be too much for them to meet now."

"Then... when? We can't go on like this forever."

"True. But he might take it into his own hands to find her, in which case we would probably want to keep our distance for a while."

"Right."

** ** ** ** **

Ooooooooook... that's all for now. Please excuse me while I go lose my lunch ...er...breakfast (I'm really really sick right now.. bleh)

Is anybody confused? You should be. I'm afraid that I might be giving away too much too soon. O well... 

Read and Review please!!


	3. Police and demons

"Waking" by Jezunya

Chapter III: Police and Demons 

I don't own IY!!!! Don't sue me!!!! I need that money to buy mangas!!!!

What?? Inuyasha's actually supposed to make an appearance in an IY fic?? And not just as a ghost?? You people must be crazy!! Heh heh.. don't worry.. dog-boy ain't dead for long ^-~ Have a little faith in me, jeez!!

** ** ** ** **

Akumanoshi Sento was Chief of the special Youkai Control police unit. It was his job to make sure no demons caused trouble for the humans of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Thanks to their sci-fi-mixed-with-magic weapons, this was not an impossible task. It just took a lot of specialized training to be able to face down a raging youkai every day. Which was why he was bringing his son and daughter to work with him tonight. They both showed extraordinary promise in the trade. If he hadn't known any better, he'd almost say they'd already been trained to fight demons.

Sento was pulled out of his thoughts by the ringing of the visiphone. He clicked the 'Answer' button and a tiny hologram of his teenage daughter popped up.

Hey, Dad, where are you?? School's been out for almost a half hour! Sango's voice came through the speaker.

He chuckled. "Well, obviously, I'm here at work."

Dad!

Sento laughed again. "Okay, sweetie, I'll be over to pick you up in a few minutes."

Thanks, Dad, Sango said, sounding just a bit sarcastic. She smiled at her father, then hung up the phone.

***

Sango glanced at her brother as they strapped on their battle gear. He was being uncharacteristically quiet. "Kohaku?" she asked, her voice concerned.

The small boy didn't answer for a moment, and when he did, his voice was pained. "I can't help worrying," he said quietly, "that we'll fight that spider-youkai and everything will happen all over again."

Sango gently placed a hand on his shoulder, understanding how he felt. He carried far too much guilt for a boy his age. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen."

"..." Kohaku didn't look at his sister. "Sometimes... I still have nightmares about him... Naraku..."

"Stop it!" Sango cried, grabbing both her brother's shoulders, and dropped down to her knees so she was at his eye-level. "Naraku's dead, got it? He didn't come back with the rest of us!"

Kohaku just looked at her sadly. "How can you be so sure?"

"Well..." Sango looked away. How could she answer that? How could she tell him that she didn't know? That it was nothing more than a desperate hope. "Do you really think Kagome would've brought him back? Do you think she wanted that?" When Kohaku slowly shook his head, she gave him a reassuring smile and ruffled his hair. "Besides, if he were here, he'd have attacked by now. That's proof enough." _I hope, _she added silently. "Just don't worry about it, ok?"

Kohaku nodded and gave her a tiny smile. Sango smiled back and pulled her little brother into a warm hug.

***

Kagome looked up in surprise at the battle sounds coming from outside. "May I go see what it is?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

"Of course, child," her sensei replied. She smiled warmly as the girl leapt up and bounded toward the window to watch the local Taiji-ya take out a youkai gang that had been causing trouble in the neighborhood.

"Kaede-sama!" Kagome gasped. "Look! There's Sango-chan! And her little brother Kohaku!"

Higurashi Kaede limped over to her pupil's side and looked out at the battle. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on the remaining youkai gang members. "Perhaps we should return to your lessons," she said quickly. "Mastering such incantations takes much time and concentration."

"Oh, all right," Kagome sighed, finally managing to pull herself away from the window.

***

_Why, damn it all?! Why do the fucking police have to interfere?!_

He shot a look at the shrine on the hill above them, just in time to see a young girl turn away from the window. So close... he was so close...

The battle was waning. There were only two youkai left standing now, and the Taiji-ya were circling them, slowly closing in. His eyes fell on one he recognized. He growled.

She smirked beneath her gas mask before yelling "Gas 'em!" to her companions. The youkai were immediately engulfed by a huge cloud of sleeping gas. And, thanks to their keen canine noses, they were both very quickly unconscious.

***

He woke to find himself lying on a concrete pallet in a tiny prison cell. He sat up and looked around, though there wasn't much to see. No windows, just an iron (and probably enchanted) door. He tried breaking through the door and each of the walls. And sure enough, he always got the same result each time: he was thrown against the far wall and the architecture showed no mark of the beating he'd given (or tried to give) it. _Stupid Taiji-ya really know what they're doing..._ he thought sullenly, reseating himself on the concrete bed.

He leaned back against the wall, planning to take a nap, when the sound of his door being unlocked caught his ear. He opened his eyes just in time to see the door open and a girl, still decked in her battle gear though lacking her mask, step into the cell. She leaned against the wall and smiled coldly.

"Sango."

"Hello Inuyasha." 

** ** ** ** **

Yay!! Another chapter!! *happily skips around the room before settling in front of the comp again* ehehehehehe..... sorry.. too much medicine.. (yes, in case you hadn't guessed I'm **still** sick) 

Akuma no shi (or Akumanoshi, as in Sango's last name) mean "Devil's death" and Sento (Sango's dad's name) means "lead" (like guide) or "battle." Bwahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!! My amazingly un-creative creativity strikes again!!!!

Send help!! I can't think of a title for this chapter!! Please give me some suggestions!!!

Remember your R's!!


	4. High School Havoc

"Waking" by Jezunya

Chapter IV: High School Havoc

I am getting really tired of saying this, but here it is anyway: *takes a deep breath* **I DO NOT, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, HAVE ANY CLAIM TO INUYASHA OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS!** There, I said it!! Are you happy now?! *dramatically bitter sniffle*

Okay… here's chapter 4 again. I got the response that it was confusing before, so I went through, added some scenes, redid some scenes, etc… Plus my imouto-chan told me we didn't do enough with Kagome in this chapter, so I added some more scenes centered around her. Thanks go to **Waku-chan for telling me about Ch's I & II being switched, as well as how confusing IV was.**

Hope it's better this time!! ^-^;

** ** ** ** **

He glared at his brother.

The younger demon glared back. "What?"

"I don't know why I keep paying your bail." He sighed, angry and exasperated. "How do you _always manage to get into trouble?"_

"It wasn't my fault this time," his brother replied, glancing inside the refrigerator and grimacing at the assorted French crap -- "delicacies," as his older brother called them -- and quickly shut the door again. "I was just--"

"Trying to get a rise out of Kouga?" Sesshoumaru smiled coolly as the half-demon's face flushed. "You can't keep doing that, Inuyasha. Kouga has claimed that area as his domain. You know better than to go trespassing into another's territory."

Inuyasha scowled. "The bastard wasn't even there; he ran off as soon as the police got there. And besides, he's got no business hanging around over there," he growled.

"You mean he has no business hanging around _her_," Sesshoumaru said.

"Quit puttin' words in my mouth!" the hanyou snarled, stomping upstairs to his quarters. As soon as the door was shut behind him, he let out a sigh and flopped down on his bed.

Was Sango right? Did Kagome really not remember anything of her past life? Even if she was the Kagome they had all known before, it wouldn't be the same if she didn't remember them.

_Kagome… I wonder what you're doing now…_

He slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of traveling an ancient country-side and collecting the Shards of a Jewel that would eventually be the death of them all…

***

She was poised on the edge of an outcropping of rock, wearing nothing but her skin-tight bathing suit. _Well, this is certainly a good dream,_ he thought, grinning from his perch on a tree branch overhead. Inuyasha watched the girl take a deep breath and dive beneath the waters.

Kagome became aware that she was dreaming when the icily refreshing water hit her skin. She swam to the surface and tread water, taking in her surroundings through large, curious eyes. She was in the middle of a lazily flowing river, lined by boulders and tall trees on either side, with dappled sunlight playing across the ground and reflecting off the water. She recognized the place; she had come here to swim in her dreams before. It all seemed so real, and.. she always had an odd feeling that it _was_ real, that she had once come to such a place. Shaking her head and deciding to simply enjoy the dream while it lasted, she dunked under the water again, swimming back and forth between the banks.

As she pulled herself up onto the rock where sat her pile of usual bathing items, she suddenly felt a presence not far off. She looked around, wondering who or what had intruded on her peaceful dream. A flutter of movement caught her eye, and she turned to look up into the branches of a particularly sturdy-looking oak.

Golden orbs blinked back at her, apparently not expecting to be noticed and therefore caught off guard.

Had this not been a fantasy conjured up by his sleeping mind, Inuyasha would have been afraid that he might be Sat. As it was, he simply wondered if perhaps he should join her in the water. His dreams were often plagued with the demons they had faced together or, on particularly bad days, replays of all the times he'd been cruel to her, often even making her cry. He definitely didn't want to waste such a rare good dream.

Kagome was speechless as she watched the strange boy from her dreams calmly climb down from his branch, his red kimono morphing into a pair of red swim trunks as he went. He came to crouch at the water's edge. "Mind if I come in?" he said, grinning mischievously, and didn't wait for her reply before running and doing a cannon ball into the middle of the pond. Kagome shrieked and dove underwater to avoid being splashed. When she came up all she could do was glare at the boy, who smiled at her innocently before disappearing below the surface again. He swam along the bottom, and she soon lost him among the shadows on the floor. Thus she was completely unprepared for the huge sheet of water that came from behind her. 

She spun around to face him, and Inuyasha almost laughed at her soaked, pouty, glare. Almost, but he was too busy dodging the splash she sent his way. He splashed her back, and soon they were both laughing, dodging, and splashing.

Pausing to catch her breath, Kagome managed to gasp out between laughs, "Kami… Who _are you?" The boy looked at her sharply, looking like he'd just been slapped. "Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend… I mean…" Kagome tried to apologize. She touched the side of her head, willing the landscape to stop moving. Everything was rippling and blurring, like she was looking at it underwater. And what was that horrible ringing in her ears..?_

Inuyasha watched as she swayed back and forth, her eyes unfocused, her face confused. Then, she simply blipped out of existence. "Wha--?! Kagome!" he yelled, looking around everywhere. A sudden bright light blinded him, causing him to cover his eyes with his arm.

"Get up, now!" Sesshoumaru's condescending voice came to his ears.

Inuyasha groaned and rolled over to hide his face in his pillow. 

"Now!" The pillow was jerked away and his head fell on the not-nearly-as-comfortable mattress. "You're going to be late."

Inuyasha sat up and blinked at his half-brother in confusion. "Late?" he echoed. "Wha… Sess, late for what?"

"School, of course." Sesshoumaru tossed the pillow back at him, hitting him right in the face.

"What?!" Inuyasha demanded, springing to his feet, now fully awake.

Sesshoumaru smirked at him. "Let's just say the authorities were not pleased to hear that you, who are barely old enough to get a driver's license, have not been attending school." Inuyasha could only gape at his brother, who gestured to a set of clothing on top of his desk. "That's your uniform. Put it on and get downstairs. You'll probably have to pull your hair back or something. _If they let you keep it long."_

The hanyou's hands flew to his mane of hair. "I ain't cuttin' my hair," he said, his eyes wide and slightly wild.

Sesshoumaru smirked again before leaving the room to see how Jaken was doing with breakfast.

***

She touched the side of her head, willing the landscape to stop moving. Everything was rippling and blurring, like she was looking at it underwater. And what was that horrible ringing in her ears..?

Kagome's hand shot out on a reflex, hitting her alarm clock perfectly. _Stupid alarm… always waking me in the middle of a dream… _She blinked a few times, glad when her room seemed completely stable and substantial. "What an odd dream…" she mumbled, sitting up and stretching. She went through her morning rituals, showering, dressing, and brushing her hair. She slouched down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"You look tired, child," Lady Kaede said when Kagome sat down at the table with a yawn. 

"That's 'cause I _am tired."_

Kaede cocked an eyebrow. "Did you dream last night, then?"

Kagome opened her mouth to tell her of the dream, but then decided against it. "No," she lied. "I just couldn't get comfortable last night. Couldn't sleep.." she mumbled. 

Why couldn't she tell Lady Kaede? She told the old woman _everything, especially meaningful dreams. Kaede had found her out on the streets, a lost child with no memory of a family and "an extraordinarily powerful aura," as the she had put it. She had taken her in, taught her and trained her to use her miko powers. More than once, they'd been able to help people thanks to her clairvoyant dreams. _

_If you dream something more than once, it usually means something important, she thought, pushing bits of rice and fruit around on her plate. __I should tell Kaede-sama about that boy. Kagome made a face. She knew she __should, but there was something about telling her, something that almost made Kagome squirm with how wrong it felt. _

_They're too personal, she decided. The dreams were probably a result of loneliness, because she'd never had a boyfriend before, and the dog-eared boy was probably what her sleeping mind had decided was the perfect match for her. So, she just had to find a nice guy to be her boyfriend and voila! She could say goodbye to her odd dreams. _

Kagome blinked. _That sounded disturbingly like Miroku-kun…_

She shook her head and smiled to herself, then quickly finished her breakfast. "Bye Kaede-sama! I'll see you after school!" Kagome called as she grabbed her bag and ran out the door to meet up with Sango.

***

He stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk in front of his new school. It was …intimidatingly large. He turned a pleading expression on the driver. "Please, Gyosha? Can't you just take me back home?"

The chauffeur shook his head. "Your father would have my head if I did not carry out his orders."

He sighed. "Fine. I guess I might as well get this over with."

Gyosha smiled. "Have a good day, Young Master Naraku." He pulled the car door shut and drove away, leaving the boy staring up at his new school.

***

"Alright, class, settle down. We have some new students with us today. Now," the teacher looked at the roster sheet. "Hatsuyuki Inuyasha, why don't you go first?"

Inuyasha scowled at the teacher, then at the class of curious teenagers. "What am I supposed to say? You just told them my name." He turned his glare back to the woman behind the desk.

"Well, why don't you start by telling us a bit of history about your life, why you moved to this school… You know, normal introduction stuff," the teacher smiled.

_Ease up on the anti-depressants, lady,_ Inuyasha thought sourly, turning away from the annoyingly cheerful woman. He growled under his breath. "Well, my name's Inuyasha – anyone calls me Hatsuyuki is gonna regret it—"

"Inuyasha-kun!" The teacher cried, but he continued on, ignoring her.

"—An' I'm _at this stupid school because my brother decided to be an as—a butthead," he amended, at the teacher's warning glare, "and is now forcing me to go to school. And…" His eyes swept over the class, taking in the faces of both humans and youkai. "And if anyone bugs me about being half-human, you won't _live_ to regret it."_

"Thank you, Inuyasha-kun, I think that's enough. Why don't you take that empty set in the back? Yes, right there." The teacher looked at the attendance sheet again, not nearly as cheerful as before. "Next we have Kokuhyou Naraku."

Inuyasha looked up sharply. Sure enough, there at the front of the class room stood a perfectly human-looking boy, with long, wavy, black hair and warm chocolate eyes.

"Um… this is my first time in a public school," the boy said nervously. "I've gone to a private boy's school up until now, but my parents decided it would be best for me to have the experience of attending a normal co-ed high school. My Otousan is Kokuhyou Onigumo." Here, his voice swelled and he stuck out his chest with pride. "You may have heard of him. He owns The Bouryokudan Lawyers,one of the best law firms in Japan." Naraku paled slightly when the students gave no sign of recognizing the name. "Um…"

"Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Naraku-kun," the teacher smiled. "You can go sit down now."

The boy nodded and moved to the only remaining empty seat …right next to Inuyasha. The dog demon tensed and kept his eyes focused on the front board so he wouldn't have to look at his nemesis. 

Naraku glanced curiously at the white haired boy next to him. He seemed oddly tense and almost silently hostile. _Probably because he's from the streets and I'm from a private school,_ he thought, turning back to watch the teacher begin the lesson.

***

Kagome poked at her lunch unenthusiastically, not really listening to the chatter of girls around her. Her mind was on the dream she had had last night. There had been something different about it. It had almost seemed as if the boy were really there, like the first time, when she was surrounded by gold mist. All the others had only been fantasies and memories.

_Memories?_ Kagome frowned. This guy was just a figment of her imagination. Or, even if by some chance he _was_ real, they'd never met, nor had Kagome ever been in the lush forests and fields of flowers where they often met in her dreams. Such places didn't even exist anymore, and hadn't since the late twenty-first century, nearly 500 years ago. Not in Japan anyway.

"Kagome!" 

Kagome was jerked from her thoughts, suddenly aware that her friends had been addressing her. "Um… What did you say?" she asked, flushing slightly.

Hanako sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I _said_ have you seen the two new students?"

"Um.. No..? Are they in our class?" Kagome said unsurely.

"No, they're both a year above us. And they're both _hot._ One's a trouble-maker though, but the worth-while one is right over there." Hanako pointed to a table across the cafeteria, and all the girls looked. A crowd, mostly made up of girls, were clustered around the table.

"I don't see…" Kagome began, but then someone moved aside and she saw who the girls were giggling over. A sixteen year old boy, with long black hair and an elegantly handsome face sat, smiling and chatting with the crowd around him.

"His name's Kokuhyou Naraku," she heard Hanako continue. Beside her, Sango bristled, though none of the girls seemed to notice. "He's from a Private school and he's _rich._"

Kagome looked back at her friend, grinning. "And we all know that's all you care about," she said, and received snickers from the others.

Hanako sniffed indignantly. "Well, there's no fun in dating a guy who can't spend a little money on you."

Kagome smiled again, and turned to look back at the boy. He looked up, right at her. Kagome gasped as their gazes met and a strange recognition seemed to pass through his eyes. They just stared at each other for a moment, then someone moved in the crowd, and Kagome lost sight of him.

"You know, I just remembered I have somewhere to be," Sango said, standing abruptly. Kagome glanced up at her, feeling slightly shaken and more than a little confused. Sango gave her a tiny, grim smile, then marched off purposefully.

"Well… That was weird…" Hanako said after Sango had gone.

Kagome nodded, but decided not to worry about it. "So who's the other new guy?"

"What?" Hanako asked, looking confused.

"You said there were two new students. Who's the other one?"

"Oh." Hanako looked away to scan the cafeteria. Finally, she seemed to find what she was looking for. "Over there." She gestured to a boy eating alone at a table in the corner of the room. "That's Inuyasha."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. The boy had long silver-white hair and fluffy, white dog-ears on top of his head. It was the boy from her dream.

***

"We've got a problem."

"I know."

"How can he be here?"

"Fate works in strange ways."

"She wouldn't bring him back on purpose, would she? That just doesn't seem… right."

"Perhaps…"

"Perhaps what?"

"Perhaps Kagome-sama did not merely want us all to live in the same time, but…"

"…Maybe she wanted the quest to continue?"

"It's possible. Completing the quest had many consequences, especially for Inuyasha and Kagome-sama. The completion of the Jewel would require Inuyasha to finally choose between his demon side and his human side, while it would also eliminate the reason for Kagome-sama to return to our time."

"And she didn't want that. She didn't want to be without us. …Or _him."_

"…I wonder what happened… At the very end, after we had all passed on."

***

"You okay, Kagome?" Hanako asked, peering at her suddenly pale face. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"…I think I have…" The words escaped her lips before she realized she had even thought them.

"What?" Hanako asked, looking as confused as Kagome felt.

Kagome shook her head. "Um… So he's just Inuyasha? No last name?" she asked quickly, changing subject.

Hanako blinked. "Well…" she said hesitantly. She glanced around at the girls, and they all leaned in to hear when she dropped her voice to a conspiratory whisper. "His surname's 'Hatsuyuki,' but he already punched a kid for calling him that."

Kagome's eyes widened. "On his first day?"

Hanako nodded. "For some reason he just wants to be called 'Inuyasha.'" Murmurs went through the crowd of girls, mostly consisting of "Weird" and "Scary."

Kagome looked over at the white-haired boy again. _He looks lonely, she thought, feeling an odd connection to the boy. If he really was the one she was always dreaming about…_

_Whoa, Kagome! Snap out of it! He's probably in a gang or something! She shook her head, turning her back to him. "Definitely not my type," she said firmly under her breath._

Across the room, a pair of white dog-ears drooped, and their owner decided that listening in on female conversation was not in any way good for his self-esteem.

** ** ** ** **

Well? Better? I hope you people liked it! ^-^;

**Bouryokudan** - gangster organization, band of thugs, gangster (They're lawyers and it's Onigumo… it just made sense!!)

**Gyosha** – "chauffeur"; this is supposed to be the name of Naraku's driver (either his parents hated him or he was destined for the job)

**Hanyou** – half-demon (this is what Inuyasha is ^-^)

**Hatsuyuki** – (Inuyasha's/Sesshoumaru's surname) "first snow of the season"

**Kami** – Usually used as "God," though kami are actually god-like spirits of nature in Shinto.

**Kokuhyou** – (Onigumo's/Naraku's surname) "damnation" ^^; you kinda have to wonder what these people's ancestors did to get surnames like this (although, it _is Naraku, so I guess you don't have to wonder too much…)_

**-kun** – a name suffix usually used for boys or underclassmen.

**Otousan** – respectful way of saying "dad" or "father"

Don't forget to review!! ^_^


	5. Almost

"Waking" by Jezunya

Chapter V: Almost

I still don't own Inuyasha, but that's about to change ^_^ *holds up prayer-beads* Here doggy! Here doggy, doggy, doggy demon!

AN: This chapter follows Naraku around quite a bit, so be prepared to get to know everyone's favorite villain!! And I'm sure many of you will be hating me by the end of this chapter, but just remember that I would NEVER turn against my favorite pairing of all time (Inu/Kag!!!) And beware, Inu & Sess might seem a little OOC in this chapter…

Chocho-chan – can you tell me where the locker computer voice's line is from? (Spell e-o…) ^___^

** ** ** ** **

_13…7…Damnit!_ Naraku glared furiously at his locker.As hard as he tried, he just couldn't remember the last number in the combination. "Um, 8?" he said aloud, pressing the button, then Enter.

The locker beeped angrily at him, its computer-generated voice announcing, "I'm sorry. That is _in_correct."

Naraku slammed his fist against the metal door in frustration._ This day's just getting better and better, he thought sarcastically. He'd already been caught daydreaming in several of his classes. __All of my classes since lunch, now that I think about it, he thought, leaning his forehead against his locker and closing his eyes. It was because of that girl he'd seen in the cafeteria; he couldn't keep his mind off her. He didn't even know who she was and he was already completely stuck on her. _

What was it that had caught his attention so? She was pretty, there was no denying that, but there had been something else, something… special about her. Like he'd seen her before, like he knew her… Naraku shook his head, knowing that that train of thought would do no good. He had never met the girl before and he would probably never—

"Ah, sumimasen?"

Naraku opened his eyes in surprise and lifted his head off the locker to find a girl looking up at him nervously. _Speak of the devil…_ Naraku thought, staring down at the very person his thoughts had lingered upon all afternoon. _Or perhaps I should say speak of an angel,_ he corrected himself as he straightened up and got a better look at the girl. She reached about to his shoulder in height, with long, soft, wavy, black hair that fell to the middle of her back and large, long-lashed blue eyes that looked up at him over the top of a wrinkled piece of printer paper. Her mouth was small and delicate, her lips full and red. A soft blush colored her cheeks as she glanced from him, to her paper, to his locker and back to him. All in all, she was gorgeous.

"Sumimasen," she tried again, looking at the paper in her hands. "Are you um, Kokuhyou Naraku?"

It took Naraku a moment to stop watching the girl's lips move and realize what she'd asked. "Eh..? Oh! Yes. Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?" he asked, turning up his charm and leaning against his locker casually.

"Um, I think this is yours." The wrinkled printer paper was held out to him at arm's length and he took it, quirking an eyebrow. Naraku recognized what was on the paper immediately: all his registration info, including the number and combination of his locker. "I found it in the cafeteria at the end of lunch. You must've dropped it or something."

"Arigatou," Naraku smiled, earning a hesitant smile in return. "This helps more than you could know." He turned back to his locker, and punched in the correct combination. 13, 7, 6. The door popped open with a cheerful computerized musical note. Naraku felt his smile fade as he looked over the years-old cobwebs and moth corpses. 

"Um, most people don't use their lockers," the girl spoke up next to him.

"Why not?" he asked, raising one eyebrow in inquiry.

"The combinations are too easy to figure out."

"Eh..?"

The girl calmly stepped forward, closed his locker door, and pointed to the numbers printed on a small metal plaque that was welded on near the top of the door. The plaque read: 2A7D1. "You see these numbers? These tell you both which locker you're at as well as the combination for the locker."

"I don't quite follow you…"

"It's simple. Look: A means multiplication, B means addition, C means division, and D means subtraction. The whole thing is to get the first number, see? 2 times 7, 'cause there's an A between them, minus 1, because of the D. That gets you 13."

"What about the rest of the combination?" Naraku asked, furrowing his brow at the locker.

"The second number is always just one digit, and it's always this number right here in the middle." She reached up and pointed to the 7. 

"And the last number?" Naraku asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"The first number minus the second number," she shrugged.

"Always?"

"Always."

"Well, that's dumb. I mean, what's the point of having lockers if any idiot can get into them?" he said wryly.

"Yeah… They designed it that way so the Janitors could clean out the lockers during the summer without having to look up each and every combination. Most people just carry all their stuff with them anyway or store it in their cars, if they have them," the girl agreed, smiling up at him.

Naraku just smiled back for a few moments before saying casually, "Hey, I don't think ever got your name."

The girl blinked. "Oh. It's Higurashi," she smiled. "Higurashi Kagome."

"Well, Higurashi-san," Naraku said, once again turning his natural charm on. "Please allow me to give you a ride home," he said, holding up a finger when she started to turn him down. "Please, it would be an honor — no, a privilege. You took all the trouble to stay after school and inform me about a locker that I won't even be using. And besides, I can't just leave a beautiful girl to fend for herself in a big school like this."

Kagome smiled and ducked her head, pushing a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "Actually, I only live a few blocks from here, so I don't really need a ride."

"Oh. Well then, allow me to escort you home," Naraku said, offering her his arm. Kagome giggled and shook her head as she linked her own arm through his.

The words "King of the World," would not have done justice to how Naraku was feeling as they left the school.

***

"So you're really only half human?" Kagome asked in wonder.

Naraku nodded. "My Father, Onigumo, is human."

"And your mother's a youkai?"

"Yes…" Naraku answered slowly. "A shape-shifter. She and Dad divorced a couple years ago. She's somewhere in America now, I think."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Kagome said quietly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Talking about people's families always made her uneasy, reminding her that she didn't have any real family, just Kaede-obaa-chan.

Naraku just shrugged. "It's okay. They parted on good terms, actually. Dad wanted more sons, Mom didn't. They couldn't decide, so they just went their separate ways. Okaa-san travels a lot, and I get to go around with her during the summer. They've both raised me, just from different sides of the planet," he grinned.

Kagome smiled back, still feeling a bit uneasy. "Well, this is it," she said, coming to a stop at the Shrine steps.

"You live in a Shrine?" Naraku asked, looking between her and the steps.

"Hai," Kagome smiled. "I'm a miko in training."

"Is that… so..?" Naraku stared up the long marble stairway, his chocolate eyes wide. Something clicked in his mind. "I bet you're pretty powerful, huh?" he said, casting her a perfect super-model smile. Powerful enough to be a formidable enemy to even he, Naraku…

Kagome looked away, a cute blush coloring her cheeks. "Kaede-baa-san seems to think so, but I don't know…"

"You are," Naraku assured her, a strange look coming over his face. "You're not fully trained yet, but when you are, I'm sure you'll be the strongest miko to ever live."

"Arigatou," Kagome replied in a small voice, her blush deepening.

Naraku grinned. "No thanks needed for simply stating a fact."

Kagome couldn't help smiling as she turned to start up the Shrine steps. "I need to go; Kaede-san will be expecting me. Thank you for walking me home, Kokuhyou-sempai," she said, glancing at him over shoulder.

Naraku watched her gracefully climb the steps for an instant, his mouth hanging open slightly, then ran up to grab her hand. Kagome turned around, blinking down at him, her blue eyes surprised. "Um," he faltered for a moment. "You can call me Naraku," he said quickly.

Kagome looked down at him for a moment, her lips beginning to curve up in a smile. "Then you can call me Kagome," she replied.

"Alright, Kagome," Naraku smiled. "Do you have any plans for Saturday night?"

Kagome looked surprised, her blush coming back full-force, before she smiled and replied coyly, "Nothing that can't be postponed."

"Reeeeally..? Then how does dinner and a movie sound?"

Kagome looked down at their still-linked hands and smiled at Naraku. "That sounds wonderful."

"Alright. I'll pick you up here at eight o'clock on Saturday." Naraku smiled, showing all his perfect, white teeth, and gave her hand a small squeeze, then turned and walked down the steps to the street. 

Kagome watched him go until he rounded the corner and disappeared from her line of sight. Her mouth hung open as she stared down at her hands. A smile slowly worked its way over her lips. She had to tell Kaede about this!

***

Sesshoumaru stepped into his house, quietly hung his coat in the closet, and then continued on into the family room where Inuyasha sat watching TV with Rin balanced precariously on one knee. The full youkai calmly stepped in front of them and pressed the button at the bottom of the large screen, switching the machine off.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Inuyasha cried indignantly, snatching up the remote control and turning the TV back on.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and turned it off again.

"Sesshoumaru-samaaaaa!" Rin spoke up this time. "Inu-nii-chan and Rin were watching the TV!" she whined, sticking her bottom lip out imploringly at her adopted-father.

"Yeah!"

"Go watch TV upstairs, Rin. Inuyasha and I need to talk," Sesshoumaru replied, ignoring the hanyou's furious glare.

"Oh. Okay." Rin cheerfully climbed out of Inuyasha's lap and disappeared down the hall, blissfully unaware of the tension hanging in the air between the two demons.

"Well, what d'ya want?" Inuyasha sulked, slouching down on the black leather couch.

Sesshoumaru sighed and grabbed a chair from the adjoining kitchen, settling himself in it across from his younger brother. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Your Principal called," he stated casually, studying the intricate pattern of the rug between his feet.

"Yeah, so?"

"He said you misbehaved quite a lot today. Hitting people, threatening other students, and being generally unpleasant were only a few of the examples he gave."

"So?"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru sighed, looking up into his younger brother's hard amber eyes. "We are not living in the feudal ages anymore. You do not need to kill or be killed."

"Well, maybe if people didn't bug me about my ears, they wouldn't be in danger of getting killed!"

"I understand that there are still some who are prejudiced against mixed-bloods like yourself, but the answer is not violence. You come to me or tell a teacher whenever that happens."

"Funny," Inuyasha sneered. "The _teacher_ was the one who made a snide comment about me being a 'bastard child.'"

Sesshoumaru sighed again, his eyes returning to the rug. "If anything— anything at all — like that ever happens again, I want you to come to me immediately."

Inuyasha snorted. "Oh yeah, Mr. Big-shot-International-Senator, you think that's gonna hold any water in a high school?"

"Actually," Sesshoumaru said slowly, looking up again. "My political position _will give me quite a bit of authority when dealing with the police."_

"Police?"

Sesshoumaru smiled grimly. "Yes. Ridiculing someone in public, especially because of their heritage, is strictly illegal." Inuyasha absorbed that bit of information, looking down at his hands, his face slightly troubled. Sesshoumaru watched him for a moment, then stood and walked out of the room. "Don't worry about it too much," he said as he passed him. "Just try to do better tomorrow." With that, he continued down the hall.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha called softly from the family room, his voice sounding small and almost childlike.

"Yes?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning around. 

Inuyasha was still sitting, the back of his white hair and his fuzzy white ears visible over the top of the couch. He didn't look up as he spoke. "I'm… sorry…"

"For what, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru couldn't keep the slightly sad note out of his voice. He, too, was sorry. Now, in this life time, his little brother was among the most important things in Sesshoumaru's life. He sometimes wondered how different life would have been had he only seen things in a different light back then, had things only gone differently… "For what?"

"For everything, I guess…"

Sesshoumaru smiled a bit sadly. "I forgave you for 'everything' in our last life." He moved forward, placing a hand on the younger demon's shoulder. "And I'm not about to start holding grudges again now."

"Thank you," Inuyasha said, his voice thick. He smiled up at his brother, who gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze in return. 

"Think nothing of it," Sesshoumaru said, patting his shoulder again. "Now, you have homework to do, young man."

"What?!"

***

"I'm home!" Naraku called, letting the huge iron-bound door swing shut behind him. 

There was a clatter of dishes, a rustle of cloth, the sound of a heavy chair scraping against polished wood floor, and Naraku's father emerged from the adjoining dining room. "Where have you been?!" Onigumo almost yelled at his son as he approached.

Naraku shrugged coolly. "I just felt like walking home."

"You could have called and told me! Gyosha was driving around looking everywhere for you!" his father fumed. He glared down at his son, then sighed and shook his head, defeated by the calm, nonchalant expression Naraku wore. "I'm glad you're safe, son. Now come on," he said, putting an arm around his shoulders and steering him toward the dining room. "Let's go have dinner."

Naraku allowed himself to be led to the dining room, then seated himself at the opposite end of the long mahogany table from his father. A moment later a servant came out of the kitchen, pushing a large cart of steaming food. "Here you go, Master Naraku," she said cheerfully, placing a covered tray in front of him and setting out his chopsticks and silverware. Naraku nodded his thanks and the servant moved away, making her way back to the kitchen.

He poked unenthusiastically at his food — teriyaki chicken and rice, cooked just the way he liked it — for a moment, then set down his fork and looked down the long expanse of table at his father. "I met someone today," he said conversationally, picking up his chopsticks instead. 

"Oh really..?" Onigumo said absently, managing to sound interested even as he studied a report from one of his lawyers.

"She was a girl," Naraku continued.

"Absolutely amazing… never would've thought _she_ would be a _girl_." Onigumo set down the report and looked over at his son, smiling slightly. "So, tell me about this girl you met."

"She's pretty."

"Always good."

"Nice."

"Another important point."

"Human."

"Hmm."

"And… She's a miko." Naraku cringed slightly, unsure how his father would react to that. He relaxed, though, when Onigumo just nodded and 'Hmm'ed again.

"A little advice, though, son: don't make her angry." Onigumo said, resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward slightly. "Even though you're only half youkai, a miko's power to purify could still kill you. I want you to be careful, alright?"

"Right…" Naraku nodded. Onigumo smiled at him, then picked up the case report and resumed reading. Naraku poked at his food for a few more minutes, his mind wandering. Finally he set down his silverware and stood. "I'm not really hungry. I think I'll just go to bed," he said in reply to his father's questioning look.

"Alright," Onigumo said, still raising an eyebrow at him. "Good night, Naraku."

"Good night, Father."

***

He could feel the puddle growing around him, his life slowly being drawn out of him in a fluid crimson mass. They'd almost finished him, almost killed him. Almost. But almost was enough; he could feel oblivion nearing. His mouth opened, the parched lips moving of their own accord, forming words not his own. Words of revenge, harsh and desperate, even to his own ears.

He could see the little wench in the corner of his eye, kneeling on the ground in the midst of all the carnage. She was crying, it was obvious. Crying over an unmoving body, its head cradled in her lap. 

Heh. He might be dying, but he'd managed to take that bastard mutt down with him. He grinned cruelly, exposing to the cloud-choked sky teeth stained in his own blood. He'd managed to take them all out. They were all going down with him…

He was finding it difficult to breath. His vision was beginning to blur, and he could no longer feel his legs. It was strange, hearing one's own heartbeat slow, and slow, and slow, until…

A bright, white light filled the sky, falling over the whole battleground. It surrounded the girl, and her eyes fell closed, almost as if she were asleep. The last thing he saw before the light engulfed him was the girl's face, slack in peaceful oblivion.

***

Naraku's eyes flitted open groggily. He sat up slowly, looking around his bedroom. He was back in his own four-poster bed, surrounded by the protective walls of his father's mansion, not a blood-soaked battlefield. He slipped out of bed and stumbled to his private bathroom, tripping once on the black silk sheets that tumbled to the floor after him. 

He gripped the rim of the sink tightly, looking down into the porcelain hemi-sphere, opening and closing his eyes several times. After a few moments and a long, calming breath, he looked up into the gold-rimmed, oval-shaped mirror. He froze, staring into the eyes of a man who looked exactly like him, and yet exactly opposite.

The reflection merely stared back at him, seemingly unaware of the deep, bleeding gashes covering his face, shoulders, and chest, and he wore the bloody scraps of a once-fine kimono. Naraku tilted his head to the side; the reflection mimicked him. He touched his face, feeling reassured that his skin seemed devoid of the wounds his other self sported. He lowered his hand and stared into his own brown eyes.

Then the reflection grinned at him.

Naraku's mouth dropped open in horror, and the reflection's grin grew, blood-stained teeth showing through, its eyes leering at him cruelly. He just stared for a moment, and then, when he blinked, all he saw was his own frightened face staring back out at him.

** ** ** ** **

Woohoo! Another chapter!! What'd you think? Hehe, I think this is probably my favorite so far. ^____^

^-^ Don't forget to review!

****

**-(o)baa – **name suffix meaning grandma/old woman (polite)

**Okaa –** Mother, Mom

**-(o)nii –** name suffix meaning older brother

**-sempai –** respectful name suffix for upperclassmen, superiors, etc…

**sumimasen –** "excuse me," used to get someone's attention or as a mild apology


End file.
